Wild Fjords

In the realm of dreams

This is the second post of my ‘The Frozen North’ series about my adventures in Iceland. You can read the first post here.

My love of fjords started in 2008 when the online roleplaying game World of Warcraft released its second expansion The Wrath of the Lich King. One of the first quest zones you arrived in, after boarding a longboat-zeppelin with a nyckelharpa (Nordic-bowed instrument) welcoming you onboard, was the Howling Fjord.

A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs and is typically formed by submergence of a glaciated valley. It is wild and ethereal, and I would love to call one home and fly on a dragon between the mountains. But one can dream.

I have always wanted to see a fjord surrounded by snow-capped mountains and heavy snowfall. I want to watch the fjord stir as its wild creatures navigate its icy terrain, like Seals in the water, Eagles soaring overhead, Arctic Foxes hunting for food by digging holes into the ice, and Seabirds gliding across the frosty waters. And would you know, the first fjord I see is in Iceland.

Eyjafjörður

I stayed in a chalet surrounded by mountains and covered in snow. Sharp icicles hugged the windows, and the view looked over the snowy expanse towards Akureyri airport. It was my wild fjord.

Whenever we left the chalet to start exploring, I would look out across the frozen sea as we were so close to it. Several times I watched Harbour Seals resting on the ice. It seemed like they only left the water if it was snowing. They were beautiful. I could always tell when they were there because I could see little grey spots on the ice in the distance. They made resting on the ice in heavy snowfall look so cosy and peaceful.

You can spot the beautiful and renowned Icelandic horses almost everywhere in Iceland, but seeing them in North Iceland in the snow is mystical. These hardy creatures live in harsh conditions, but I think they love the Arctic weather as much as I do.

One morning, we started our adventure driving along the fjord to see the church Laufáskirkja and the grass-roofed houses of historic Laufás. On the way, there was a geothermal waterfall called Foss. The steam from the hot water meeting the freezing air was awesome, and my Chemistry-loving fiance was the happiest I’ve ever seen him. We dipped our hands into the water, it was delightfully toasty! There was also the carcass of a bird near the water, with Ravens flying overheard to try and catch food. Maybe an Arctic Fox likes to hunt in this area.

On the way back from the turf houses, I saw a wingspan at the side of the road. I thought it was a Raven, but realised that it was a White-tailed Eagle! Icelanders call them the ‘King of Icelandic Birds’ because of their large size, gigantic wingspan, and all-around magnificence. I did not expect to see an Eagle in North Iceland as most pairs live in the Westfjords. But this beautiful creature was here, and I watched it fly along the fjord for a long time. It was not flying over the water so it wasn’t looking for its next meal. It eventually settled down on a stack of rocks for a rest, and I was able to take its photo. It is a young White-tailed Eagle looking to establish its own territory. How perfect would it be to see White-tailed Eagles always in the skies in North Iceland?

If you can believe it, I saw an Arctic Fox too. I had it on my ‘dream wishlist’ to see but they are so elusive. I spoke with an Icelandic local who had lived there for almost 50 years and told me he had only seen an Arctic Fox five or six times. I felt like the wild was calling me or it was just luck. She was a beautiful creature, although sadly missing one of her ears. She may have lost her ear to a trap as fox hunting is common in Iceland. I wish these wonderful animals were not hunted to death or seen as a ‘pest’. This was their home before any humans.

Ólafsfjörður 

We visited Ólafsfjörður, a small fishing north in the fjord. I wanted to experience the true fjord life, surrounded by mountains on each side, frozen waters, and sailing boats covered in ice. The car journey itself was quite interesting. There was a blizzard with poor visibility, but it did clear quickly. With the heavy snowfall, the fjord was just beautiful and as it should always be, like the Howling Fjord.

During the journey through the mountains, I spotted a bird flying very high. Although I couldn't take a clear picture of it, I got a few shots to try and identify the bird. I used an app that said the bird was a Gyrfalcon - a very rare sighting. I can't be completely sure about it being a Gyrfalcon, but if it was, wow.

In Ólafsfjörður, there is a great variety of birdlife. I saw my first-ever Purple Sandpiper. This bird is known for being hardy and thriving in winter conditions, and its yellow legs make it easy to spot. Two of them were near the water's edge feeding on the carcass of another bird. An Arctic Fox may be the one behind the kill because there were bite marks at the throat. Maybe if I had stayed longer, the fox would have returned to finish its meal. 

Siglufjörður

And then we were in Siglufjörður, a beautiful arctic town with only 1,184 people. They have bright and colourful houses and the barren harbour has empty sailboats floating eerily in the icy water. On a hilltop overlooking the town was a church with a red roof, but became more and more hidden as the snow fell. I saw many Eider Ducks, the only duck species found in Iceland. I have seen a few of these birds in Scotland, but I couldn't even count the number of them in North Iceland, there are so many of them.

My favourite part of this little town (apart from the apple pie from the bakery) was seeing flocks of Snow Buntings. These birds are rare in Scotland, I’ve never seen one before. Snow Buntings are often called 'snowflakes' because their flight pattern resembles snowflakes swirling in a blizzard. They are known to be Arctic specialists, and female birds lay their eggs in rock crevices lined with moss, grass or fur for insulation. They would land on top of house roofs, and their cheerful chirping could be heard from every corner of the town. Oh my wild fjords, I love you.

During my fjord trip, we continued travelling north and battled through heavy snowfall. At times, we could only see white all around us. Our final destination was Trollaskagi, a bright orange lighthouse overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean.

The view was wonderful, and it felt like I was beyond the wall from A Song of Ice and Fire. White Walkers would soon appear on the mountains, with thick dark clouds rolling in, and we would have to be prepared with dragonglass! It's a fantastic experience to find real-life places that resemble the fantasy worlds you admire. It warms your heart and lets you know that such places exist, and that's all that matters.

Take care,
Rebecca